the dead." 

 The voice of the Old Man sank to a thrilling whisper. He then said sharply: "Bye, a bottle o' brandy." 

 When Henry Harper brought the brandy his face was like a piece of white chalk. 

 "Only me and the ship's bye," repeated the Old Man in a hoarse whisper. "The others went ravin' mad. We knifed 'em one by one; it was the kindest thing to do. The bye didn't go ravin' mad till afterwards. And there weren't no Board of Trade Inquiry." 

 "No, sir," said Mr. Thompson, nodding his ugly head and speaking in a slow, inhuman voice. 

 "No Board o' Trade inquiry," said the Old Man.  "Nine men and the ship's bye on the Island o' San Pedro, latitude eighteen degrees, longitude one hundred and twenty-four degrees."  He placed his finger on the chart on the cabin table.  "There y'are, Mr. Thompson. And on'y me to tell the tale. The bye was gibbering like a baboon by the time he was fetched aboard the Para Wanka, Chinese barque out o' Honolulu. I was a bit touched meself. Thirteen weeks in 'orspital. Remarkable recovery. That's the knife on the sideboard in the leather case." 

 Mr. Thompson took the knife in his hand reverently. 

 "No Board o' Trade inquiry, sir," he said. 

 "No Board o' Trade inquiry," said the Old Man, taking a good drink of neat brandy.  "Come on deck and let us have another look at the Island of San Pedro." 

 Overcome by a sense of uncanny fascination the boy followed the Old Man and the mate up the companion and to the deck. Long the Old Man gazed at the island through his glass, but made no further remark. Then, having seen enough of it, he handed the glass to Mr. Thompson, who made no remark either, but gazed with a mask of steel at the Island of San Pedro. 

 Mr. MacFarlane, who stood by, pointed with his finger suddenly. 

 "Sharks," he said. 

 "Aye," said the Old Man with queer eyes, "these roads is full of 'em. Aye, there they are, the pretties!" 

 The boy followed Mr. MacFarlane's finger over the deck rail, and sure enough, quite near to the ship was a number of creatures whose upturned bellies shone a strange dead white. 

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